Platinum Witness has been backed into 2015 The Roses odds of $2.50 following the withdrawal of Ballet Suite and the Kiwi filly is now a clear favourite to take out the Group 2 event at Doomben tomorrow.
Damian Browne has been booked to ride Platinum Witness in the 2015 The Roses at Doomben this weekend. Photo by: Daniel Costello
Platinum Witness opened on the second line of The Roses betting when the final field was released earlier in the week at a quote of $3.70 and she was quickly backed into $3.60 before she leapt to the top of the market following Chris Waller’s decision to scratch Ballet Suite from The Roses and save her for the Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2200m).
The California Dane filly won the Group 1 1000 Guineas (1600m) during the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival in New Zealand at the end of last year and she started her autumn campaign with a comfortable victory in the Group 3 Wellfield Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) at Trentham on January 24.
Platinum Witness was beaten in the Group 2 Sir Tristram Fillies Classic (2000m) at Te Rapa on February 7, but she returned to winning form with a strong effort in the Group 3 Lowland Stakes (2100m) at Hastings on February 28 before she finished a close second behind Savaria in the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham on March 14.
The three-year-old has had just one race start over 1400 metres since the New Zealand Oaks, when she finished second behind Fascination Street in the Listed Rotorua Stakes (1400m) at Arawa Park on May 9, but Latta believes that Platinum Witness still has plenty of residual fitness left from the New Zealand Oaks and is ready to run a strong 2000 metres in The Roses this weekend.
“She only had three weeks off after the Oaks so she’s pretty close to the mark,” Latta said.
“The preparation has gone to plan and she has settled in well and galloped nicely on Thursday morning.”
Platinum Witness is set to back-up in the Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2400m) next weekend after running in the Doomben Roses on Saturday and she will be Latta’s first runner in the race since Can’t Keeper Down finished eighth behind Purple in the 2009 edition of the Group 1 event.
The scratching of Ballet Suite has changed the 2015 The Roses betting market significantly and Platinum Witness ($2.50) is now a clear favourite from Gold Coast Bracelet winner Bohemian Lily ($3.50), Championship Stakes runner-up Exquisite Jewel ($7), Mick Price-trained Yulong Baby ($15) and the well-backed Col ‘N’ Lil ($15).
